'You're one of them': Tatum's stunning broadside

• ‍Brutal reality of the Illawarra Hawks’ title defense‍
• Case Closed: JaVale McGee already the best player in the league‍
• Box Scores: All 165 games of the 2025-26 NBL season

Illawarra Hawks and reigning NBL Head Coach of the Year Justin Tatum didn't name names — except Code Sports Basketball — claiming "entities try to shut us down" as the defending champions' title defense was teetering on the edge in 2026.

"If there’s any statistical reason way we can find a way to do it, we’re gonna do it," Tatum said of the 8-16 eighth-placed Hawks of chase for sixth.

"I mean, even though we have all the entities to try to shut us down, you know, to stop us, but we’re gonna find a way to do it.

"There’s never — you know, if there’s no — I don’t never stop quitting and playing until it’s done."

Tatum was pushed on whether "the world is trying to fight against you" in the post game press conference after the Hawks lost to Perth Wildcats 92-87.‍

"I mean, it’s not the world. I mean, it’s not the world playing basketball, a game that we love. It’s just at the end of the day it’s just a lot of discrepancies that, you know, blatant, but people don’t want to recognise.

"But we don’t use it as excuse. So you know what I mean? I just — we just put the facts out there. (If) there’s a fact about it, I’m (going) to point it out, right.

"But at the end of the day, my guys, myself, our group are losing games, you know what I mean? And we got to find a way to play 40 minutes and get it done.

"And at the end of the day, whatever shots are fired, whatever is not consistent on the other end, we can’t control. We control what we can — shooting better, taking care of the ball, boxing out, having fun doing it, stuff like that."

A reporter in the press conference pushed again and Tatum replied: "You work for Code Sports, one of them, okay.

"But at the end of the day it’s — it is what it is. I’m the only — people I trust are the guys, you know, in my organisation, on my team. And it’s about us, man. So we’re having fun doing it.

"We’re the champions. We understand we won’t get everybody best shot. We gotta do better."

The Hawks shot just 37.7% from the field on 85 attempts, were on the wrong side of the foul count (26-14), sending the Wildcats to the line 37 times. They made 27.

Illawarra's Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Mason Peatling both fouled out while Tyler Harvey and William "Davo" Hickey each had four fouls.

Only the New Zealand Breakers (17.5 FTA) go to the line less than the Hawks (18.8 FTA) in NBL26 while commit the second most fouls per game (20.3) behind South East Melbourne Phoenix at 22.3 fouls per game. The Hawks near 19 free throws a game is two below the league average and their foul count per game is one above the league average.

NBL26 By The Numbers

In early October when the Hawks released JaQuori McLaughlin Tatum claimed Code Sports was wrong about the reason why when it reported: "It’s understood McLaughlin also had a negative impact on Illawarra’s locker room and culture, leaving the club with no choice but to end his contract."

Tatum, 46, didn't take a question after the Hawks won their first game of NBL26 against Brisbane 116-89, instead directly addressed McLaughlin's exit.

"(A report) was put out earlier: a false, misrepresentation of a young man who was in our program — JaQuori McLaughlin," Tatum declared.

"The report was false, and that young man was nothing but a pleasure for our organisation and in our locker room, on and off the court.

"He was a true professional. He helped us every day while he was here. And the departure was mutual. At the end of the day, this is a business."

Code has also reported in November a "crisis meeting" was needed between three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee and Hickey.

Code Sports Basketball reported: "Multiple sources confirmed McGee and Hickey haven’t seen eye-to-eye over multiple issues, including standards in practice and in games like not joining the team huddle, turning up late or complaining during a game when he didn’t receive a pass and taking several possessions to move on."

NBL26 has been a challenge for the Hawks. They lost champion All-NBL First Team guard Trey Kell III to Japan, versatile swingman Lachlan Olbrich to the Chicago Bulls in the 2025 NBA Draft, lost veteran Darius Days, lost sharpshooter Lee Hyun-jung, championship centre Sam Froling for much of the season to an Achilles tear, lost Jonah Bolden for the season to injury, Hickey missed multiple games at the start of the season with an eye injury, released McLaughlin, brought in QJ Peterson while trying to integrate McGee.

That is brutal by anyone's standards.

NBL25 Illawarra Hawks Championship Team

Head Coach: Justin Tatum

• PG: Trey Kell | William Hickey | Kobe McDowell-White
• SG: Tyler Harvey | Lee Hyun-jung | Zac Triplett
• SF: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk | Todd Blanchfield | Daniel Grida | Bradley Ballinger
• PF: Mason Peatling | Darius Days | Kuany Kuany
• C: Sam Froling | Lachlan Olbrich | Luca Yates

NBL26 Illawarra Hawks

Head Coach: Justin Tatum

• PG: William "Davo" Hickey | QJ Peterson (IP) | Biwali Bayles | Kobe McDowell-White (DP)
• SG: Tyler Harvey (IP) | Jackson Ball (DP) | Johnny Narkle (DP) | Jonah Antonio (IRP)
• SF: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk | Todd Blanchfield | Dan Grida
• PF: Jonah Bolden | Mason Peatling
• C: JaVale McGee | Sam Froling | Harry Froling (IRP) | Luca Yates (DP)

All those factors have made for a tough title defense when as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history Pat Riley has said: "The hardest thing in professional sports is repeating."